How many skin concerns do you have? One or two – possibly more? If you have a lot of skin concerns to contend with, then you’re likely searching for a treatment that can tackle a lot of them at once. At ICT Eye in Wichita, KS, our skilled aestheticians know the solution for multiple skin concerns is an all-in-one treatment with laser skin rejuvenation. The only remaining question is finding the laser treatment that’s right for you.
In the world of aesthetic treatments, there are dozens of facial laser treatments to choose from and each is just as effective as the last, so it can be hard for you, the patient, to choose the right laser treatment right for you.
But in general, the facial laser treatment that is right for you will depend on your skin needs and your aesthetic goals, as well as what you’re willing to live with in terms of recovery. For some patients, that means IPL laser treatments, and for others, that means Pixel laser treatments.
Laser treatments utilize advanced technology to resurface the skin, healing skin concerns from the inside out. In fact, the entire purpose behind laser treatments is to resurface the skin. For you, this means that after you heal from the treatment, you will have new skin that has not been touched by sun damage or other types of blemishes.
Laser skin resurfacing happens when your skin is exposed to light or thermal energy. Your skin cells each absorb enough of this energy that the existing skin cells are encouraged to escalate skin cell turnover, which helps your body shed the skin that is damaged by your skin concerns. In other words, laser skin resurfacing is the cosmetic treatment equivalent to starting with a fresh canvas – or a fresh face.
Skin resurfacing with laser treatments is all about re-writing the history of your skin. It’s sometimes the case that our skin concerns are a little more than skin-deep, with some concerns finding roots in the sub-dermal layers of our skin; when the root problem of our skin concerns is deeper, superficial skin treatments are not usually adequate enough to totally rejuvenate the skin.
Skin resurfacing works off the basic principle that new skin is better than old. This is mainly done through rewriting your natural skin cell turnover, which is the cycle of how quickly your skin sheds and creates new skin cells. When you rewrite the natural pace of this turnover, and when you use a treatment that can reach deeper skin cells, you can more comprehensively refresh the appearance of your skin and turn back the clock.
For laser skin resurfacing treatments, there are two main types of laser treatments, so regardless of whether your treatment uses light pulses or lasers, you need to know the difference between ablative and non-ablative and what each type of treatment can do for you.
Ablative treatments are those that injure the skin in a controlled way that reaches deeper skin cells to completely resurface your skin, right down to the deepest skin cell possible. Ablative treatments can be helpful for treating scars, deep and dynamic wrinkles, and many other skin concerns. Non-ablative treatments, on the other hand, do not injure the skin, but they are still powerful enough to encourage quicker skin cell turnover. Non-ablative treatments are friendlier to the skin and generally more versatile, which makes them perfect for handling superficial skin concerns.
At ICT Eye in Wichita, KS, we have a few laser treatments to offer our patients. Each of these laser treatments is ideal for addressing certain skin concerns, which means there is surely a perfect laser treatment for you. Our laser treatment options include IPL, Pixel, and 180 Laser.
IPL treatments are the current darlings of laser skin resurfacing treatments due to how customizable the treatment is. IPL treatments use different strengths and wavelengths of colored lights to target specific colors, bacteria, and elements in your skin. When your skin is exposed to the intense pulse lights, it responds by minimizing or erasing your skin concerns.
IPL treatments are incredibly dynamic – these treatments can be used for everything from resurfacing photofacials to laser hair removal. From reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, diminishing blemishes and dark spots, and evening skin tone and texture, IPL treatments are a non-ablative and skin-friendly option for those who have general skin concerns.
IPL treatments are also particularly helpful for patients who struggle with acne. This is because IPL treatments can kill acne-causing bacteria on the surface of the skin, encourage better skin cell turnover so bacteria and oil won’t be caught on the skin, and can also help reduce the appearance of acne scarring – both post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and atrophic acne scars.
Pixel is a more classic approach to laser skin resurfacing treatments. Using the power of a fractional laser, this treatment uses genuine laser technology to address every microscopic portion of your skin for an all-over treatment that can be a powerful tool for both general and targeted treatments. The fact that this treatment uses fractional lasers means that it won’t cause any significant damage to your skin – and that the laser energy will certainly touch every problematic skin cell on your face.
Pixel is a powerful laser treatment that can address a wide range of general and age-related concerns. Pixel’s super-charged approach deftly addresses a wide range of skin concerns, from tightening and smoothing skin texture, to reducing the appearance of scars – or eliminating scars entirely. Pixel is particularly helpful for addressing sun damage, which can both prematurely age skin and create long-lasting damage, such as broken capillaries on the face.
While both IPL and Pixel lasers each have their own niche, it can sometimes be the case that your skin needs a multi-lateral treatment approach to truly resurface and refresh the appearance of your skin. That’s where 180 laser comes in – this is a laser skin resurfacing treatment that combines both IPL and fractional laser technology to deliver a powerful, completely rejuvenating treatment.
The fact that 180 Laser combines two technologies makes it much easier to address multiple skin concerns at once. For example, those who suffer from both acne and deep acne scars may benefit from 180 Laser, since this treatment can kill acne-causing bacteria and resurface acne scarring (even serious scarring) at the same time. Moreover, 180 Laser is comprehensive enough to deal with challenging skin concerns, such as rosacea.
The fact of the matter is the right laser treatment for you is something that can only be determined by your skin and your needs. One of the most important considerations for deciding between treatments is the severity of your skin-related concerns. For example, if you only have mild superficial concerns, you wouldn’t need to use the more powerful treatment option; likewise, if you have moderate appearance concerns, then you are better off using laser treatments that are designed for moderate concerns.
If your level of skin concerns isn’t enough of a guidepost, you can always select your treatment based on your skin goals. For instance, IPL treatments are probably ideal for you if you have mild superficial concerns that center on correcting the tone and overall appearance of the skin. Likewise, you may want to choose Pixel treatments for specific age-related concerns, as this treatment is ideal for addressing texture issues. And of course, 180 Laser is the best choice of all three if you have multi-layered skin concerns that require a combination approach.
Laser skin rejuvenation treatments involve a high amount of energy being exposed directly to your skin, so if you want to achieve your goal results, you will need to adequately prepare for your treatments.
In a practical sense, this means that you need to avoid direct sun exposure for two weeks before your appointment, including the use of tanning beds. If you do have to be outside, be sure you are using enough sun protection. Protecting your skin from sun exposure right before your appointment will ensure that your skin is not damaged from the laser exposure.
A laser is a powerful tool, so you should expect some amount of sensation while your skin is being treated. Depending on the type of laser treatment, patients compare the sensation to cat scratches, heat, or snapping rubber bands. For this reason, we sometimes recommend that patients use over-the-counter pain relievers prior to the start of their appointment. At patient request, we may also apply a topical numbing cream to ensure your comfort for the duration of the treatment.
Your recovery time will take about two to three weeks, so during this time, it’s important that you follow the aftercare instructions you are given at the time of your appointment. During your recovery, it’s important that you continue to avoid direct unprotected sunlight, including tanning beds, and to wear adequate sun protection of at least SPF 30 or greater.
Your recovery will involve some skin peeling as your skin cells turnover, so it’s also important that you keep your skin moisturized during this time. Many patients supplement their normal moisturizers with aloe vera to speed up healing.
You will likely require multiple treatments to achieve your aesthetic goals. For most patients, this means you will require about four to six treatments, usually spaced four weeks apart, to achieve your final results.
Maintaining your results is as simple as staying on top of your skincare routine to prevent any future aging or other skin concerns from popping up. We can help point you in the right direction of the skincare products that are ideal for your skin concerns and will provide your skin with the tools it needs to prevent aging, acne, and sun damage.
Most people are good candidates for this treatment, particularly if other cosmetic treatments have not produced their desired results. If you have one or more skin concerns to correct, then you are most likely a good candidate for laser skin rejuvenation treatments.
Whether you have one concern or five, the key to perfect skin is in cosmetic treatments that can resurface and rejuvenate your skin. Please contact ICT Eye in Wichita, KS to schedule your consultation for one of our laser skin treatments today!
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